Probate Forms by State
Figures verified November 9, 2026 against California Courts self-help: probate · Update log
Short answer
Probate forms come from the court, free. 33 states and DC publish one statewide set; in the others each county court has its own, and you get them from the clerk where the person lived.
The first form is always a petition to open the estate and appoint the executor, filed with the original will and a death certificate. If the estate is small, you may not need probate forms at all: check the small estate shortcut in the table.
The forms an executor files first
Names and numbers differ, but nearly every state's opening packet has the same parts:
- Petition or application to probate the will and appoint the executor, or to appoint an administrator when there is no will.
- The original will and a certified death certificate.
- A list of heirs and beneficiaries with addresses, and their consents or waivers if they agree.
- Bond, or a waiver of bond, and the executor's oath or acceptance.
- The order and the letters, which some courts ask you to prepare for the judge to sign. See letters testamentary.
After appointment come the notice to creditors, the inventory (often due within 60 to 90 days) and, at the end, an accounting or a closing statement. The executor checklist puts them in order with the tax returns.
A car is transferred at the state's motor vehicle office, not the court: the executor signs the title and shows the letters, and many states let heirs skip probate for a car on a short form. See how to transfer a car title after death.
Probate forms in every state
| State and where to file | Forms and small estate shortcut |
|---|---|
| AlabamaCounty probate court (the probate judge) | Mobile County Probate Court (forms vary by county)Small estate: $47,000 |
| AlaskaSuperior Court (probate) | Alaska Court System probate formsSmall estate: $50,000 |
| ArizonaSuperior Court in the county (probate) | Arizona Courts self-service probate formsSmall estate: $200,000 |
| ArkansasCircuit Court, probate division | Arkansas official probate formsSmall estate: $100,000 |
| CaliforniaSuperior Court in the countyOpens with: Petition for Probate (DE-111) | California Courts self-help: probateSmall estate: $208,850 |
| ColoradoDistrict Court (Denver Probate Court in Denver)Opens with: Application for informal probate of a will (JDF 910) or for informal appointment | Colorado Judicial Branch: open an estateSmall estate: $88,000 |
| ConnecticutProbate court for the district where the person livedOpens with: Petition/Administration or Probate of Will (PC-200) | Connecticut Probate Courts forms listSmall estate: $40,000 |
| DelawareRegister of Wills in the countyOpens with: Petition for Authority to Act as Personal Representative (Form No. 1) | New Castle County Register of Wills formsSmall estate: $50,000 |
| District of ColumbiaSuperior Court, Probate DivisionOpens with: Petition for probate | DC Superior Court: large estates formsSmall estate: $40,000 |
| FloridaCircuit Court (probate division) in the county | Eleventh Judicial Circuit (Miami-Dade) probate forms; forms vary by circuitSmall estate: $150,000 |
| GeorgiaCounty probate courtOpens with: Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms, such as GPCSF 3 (letters of administration) | Georgia Probate Court Standard Form GPCSF 3Small estate: No dollar limit |
| HawaiiCircuit Court (probate) | Hawaii Judiciary circuit court formsSmall estate: $100,000 |
| IdahoMagistrate division of the District Court | Idaho Court Assistance Office (wills and probate forms)Small estate: $100,000 |
| IllinoisCircuit Court in the county | Illinois Supreme Court approved statewide formsSmall estate: $150,000 |
| IndianaCircuit or Superior Court (probate) in the county | Indiana Judicial Branch forms; most probate forms are county formsSmall estate: $100,000 |
| IowaDistrict Court (probate) | Iowa Judicial Branch probate formsSmall estate: $50,000 |
| KansasDistrict Court | Kansas Courts self-help: probateSmall estate: $75,000 |
| KentuckyDistrict Court in the countyOpens with: Petition for probate and appointment (AOC-805) | Kentucky Court of Justice legal forms (AOC-805 and others)Small estate: $30,000 |
| LouisianaDistrict Court of the parish (a succession) | LouisianaLawHelp: guide to a Louisiana successionSmall estate: $200,000 |
| MaineCounty probate court (register of probate)Opens with: Application for informal probate (DE-201(I)) or informal appointment (DE-101(I)) | Maine probate courts formsSmall estate: $40,000 |
| MarylandRegister of Wills (Orphans' Court) in the county | Maryland Register of Wills formsSmall estate: $50,000 |
| MassachusettsProbate and Family CourtOpens with: Petition for informal probate (MPC 150) | Probate and Family Court forms for wills, estates and trustsSmall estate: $25,000 |
| MichiganCounty probate court | Michigan SCAO-approved formsSmall estate: $53,000 |
| MinnesotaDistrict Court | Minnesota Judicial Branch probate formsSmall estate: $75,000 |
| MississippiChancery Court in the county | Mississippi Judiciary (no statewide probate forms; ask the chancery clerk)Small estate: $75,000 |
| MissouriCircuit Court, probate division | Missouri Courts probate formsSmall estate: $40,000 |
| MontanaDistrict Court | Montana Judicial Branch probate formsSmall estate: $100,000 |
| NebraskaCounty Court | Nebraska Judicial Branch self-help: estatesSmall estate: $100,000 |
| NevadaDistrict Court | Civil Law Self-Help Center (Clark County court): probateSmall estate: $25,000 |
| New HampshireCircuit Court, Probate DivisionOpens with: Petition for Estate Administration (NHJB-2145-Pe) | NH Circuit Court Probate Division formsSmall estate: No dollar limit |
| New JerseyCounty Surrogate's Court | Bergen County Surrogate: probate (each county's Surrogate prepares the papers)Small estate: $50,000 |
| New MexicoCounty probate court or District Court | New Mexico Courts self-representation: probateSmall estate: $50,000 |
| New YorkSurrogate's Court in the countyOpens with: Petition for Probate (P-1) or for letters of administration | NY Surrogate's Court probate formsSmall estate: $50,000 |
| North CarolinaClerk of Superior Court (estates division)Opens with: Application for Probate and Letters (AOC-E-201) or for Letters of Administration (AOC-E-202) | NC Judicial Branch: estatesSmall estate: $20,000 |
| North DakotaDistrict CourtOpens with: Application for informal probate and appointment (Form 2) | ND Legal Self Help Center: informal probateSmall estate: $100,000 |
| OhioCounty probate courtOpens with: Application to probate will (Form 2.0) and application for authority to administer (Form 4.0) | Supreme Court of Ohio standard probate formsSmall estate: $35,000 |
| OklahomaDistrict Court | OKLaw (Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma): wills and probateSmall estate: $50,000 |
| OregonCircuit Court | Oregon Judicial Department forms (few probate forms)Small estate: $75,000 |
| PennsylvaniaRegister of Wills in the county (Orphans' Court for disputes) | Pennsylvania Orphans' Court formsSmall estate: $50,000 |
| Rhode IslandProbate court of the city or townOpens with: Petition for probate of will (PC-1.5) | Rhode Island probate form PC-1.5Small estate: $15,000 |
| South CarolinaCounty probate court | SC Judicial Branch probate court formsSmall estate: $45,000 |
| South DakotaCircuit Court | SD Unified Judicial System self-help (no probate packet; ask the clerk)Small estate: $100,000 |
| TennesseeProbate or chancery court, depending on the county | Davidson County probate estate forms (forms vary by county)Small estate: $50,000 |
| TexasCounty court, or a statutory probate court in larger counties | TexasLawHelp: probate court basicsSmall estate: $75,000 |
| UtahDistrict Court | Utah Courts self-help: probateSmall estate: $100,000 |
| VermontSuperior Court, Probate Division | Vermont Judiciary court formsSmall estate: $45,000 |
| VirginiaCircuit Court clerkOpens with: Probate information form (CC-1650) and probate tax return (CC-1651) | Virginia circuit court fiduciary formsSmall estate: $75,000 |
| WashingtonSuperior Court in the county | Washington Courts forms list (few probate forms)Small estate: $100,000 |
| West VirginiaCounty Commission, through the county clerk | Kanawha County fiduciary and probate (forms vary by county)Small estate: $200,000 |
| WisconsinCircuit Court (register in probate)Opens with: Application for informal administration (PR-1801) | Wisconsin circuit court forms (probate)Small estate: $50,000 |
| WyomingDistrict Court | Wyoming Judicial Branch self-help formsSmall estate: $400,000 |
States without statewide forms
Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming leave probate forms to each county or circuit, or publish very few. For those, the table links a county court's forms as an example or the state's self-help page. Call the probate clerk in the county where the person lived and ask for their opening packet; many courts post it on their own site.
In Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana the link goes to the state's legal aid site, because the courts publish no general probate forms.
Optional: get help filing
Get a flat-fee quote for the estate's tax returns
The final Form 1040, the estate's Form 1041 and any state return are the parts executors most often hand off. Leave your email and the rough estate size, and a CPA or Enrolled Agent who prepares estate returns will reply with a fixed price. Free, and no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get probate forms?
From the court system's website or the probate court clerk in the county where the person lived. 33 states and DC publish one set of probate forms for every county; in the rest, each county court or clerk has its own. The table on this page links each state's official forms.
What form do I file to open probate?
A petition or application to probate the will and appoint the executor, or, with no will, to appoint an administrator. Examples: California's Petition for Probate (DE-111), New York's Petition for Probate (P-1), Massachusetts' Petition for Informal Probate (MPC 150), Connecticut's PC-200 and North Carolina's AOC-E-201.
Can I do probate without a lawyer?
In most states, yes, for a simple uncontested estate, and many courts publish self-help guides for it. Court staff can explain procedure but can't give legal advice. Some courts expect a lawyer in certain cases, so check local rules, and get help when heirs disagree, there is a business or the estate may owe estate tax.
Are there free probate forms?
Yes. Official court forms are free to download. Filing them costs the court's filing fee, which often runs from about $100 to a few hundred dollars.
Sources
- 1.California Courts self-help: probateselfhelp.courts.ca.gov
- 2.NY Surrogate's Court probate formsnycourts.gov
- 3.Probate and Family Court forms for wills, estates and trustsmass.gov
- 4.Supreme Court of Ohio standard probate formssupremecourt.ohio.gov
- 5.NC Judicial Branch: estatesnccourts.gov
- 6.Pennsylvania Orphans' Court formspacourts.us
This information is provided for educational purposes only and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Consult a qualified tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.